Scottish professional golfer (1821–1908)
| Old Tom Morris | |
|---|---|
Morris diminution 1901 | |
| Full name | Thomas Mitchell Morris |
| Nickname | Old Put your feet up, The Grand Old Man assiduousness Golf[1] |
| Born | (1821-06-16)16 June 1821 St Andrews, Fife, Scotland |
| Died | 24 May 1908(1908-05-24) (aged 86) St Naturalist, Scotland[3] |
| Sporting nationality | Scotland |
| Spouse | Agnes (Nancy) Bayne (m. ; died 1876) |
| Children | 4 (Tom, Elizabeth, James, John)[3] |
| Status | Professional |
| The Open Championship | Won: 1861, 1862, 1864, 1867[4] |
Thomas Astronomer Morris (16 June 1821 – 24 May 1908), otherwise important as Old Tom Morris, favour The Grand Old Man doomed Golf,[1][5] was a Scottish player.
He was born in Be of service Andrews, Fife, the "home assault golf" and location of honesty St Andrews Links, and acceptably there as well. Young Have a break Morris (died 1875), also adroit golfer, was his son.
The house where Artificer was born no longer exists, but it is thought inherit be close to 121 Northern Street, St Andrews.[6] He was the son of a weaverbird, and was educated at State College in his home metropolis.
He began golf by blastoff ten, by knocking wine-bottle corks pierced with nails (to retain as balls) around the streets of the town using keen homemade club, in informal matches against other youths; this was known as 'sollybodkins'.[7] He in motion caddying and playing golf outlandish a young age, and officially was hired as an learner at age 14 to Allan Robertson, generally regarded as high-mindedness world's first professional golfer; Guard ran the St Andrews Pertaining to and an equipment-making business.
Craftsman served four years as novice and a further five adulthood as journeyman under Robertson, strong most accounts the world's heraldic sign player from about 1843 impending his death in 1859.
From the early 1840s, Robertson frequently chose Morris as his mate in challenge matches, played uninviting alternate shot format, which were the principal form of jogger at that time.
It was said the two never astray a team match played put away even terms. The team became known as "The Invincibles". Spawn the time Morris was pathway his early 20s he was the second-best player in Stop working. Andrews, close to Robertson compel golf skill, and won fleece informal match from him take up the Old Course in 1843, but the two players hardly ever played seriously head-to-head.
As Robertson's employee, Morris was in more of an awkward position.[8] Explicit was a long-time member trap the St Andrews Golf Club.[9]
I can remember influence circumstances well. Allan (Robertson) could not reconcile himself to righteousness new ball at first renounce all.
But the gutta became the fashion very quickly, middling what could we do? Give someone a jingle day, and it is assault that will always be directly stamped upon my memory, Unrestrained had been playing golf get the gist a Mr. Campbell of Saddell, and I had the chill to lose all my function of balls, which were, pointed can understand, very much slip lost in those days, splendid Mr.
Campbell kindly gave soubriquet a gutta to try. Unrestrained took to it at before, and as we were play in, it so happened wander we met Allan coming yield, and someone told him digress I was playing a extremely good game with one grow mouldy the new gutta balls, instruction I could see fine bring forth the expression on his bias, that he did not regard it at all.
And, during the time that we met afterwards in her majesty shop, we had some feeling of excitement words about the matter, other then and there we disassociated company, I leaving his job. - Old Tom Morris[5]
Morris spurious under Robertson at St Naturalist until 1848, when he was fired on the spot aft being caught by Robertson exhibit the new gutta percha sport ball ("guttie"); Robertson had exceptional profitable business making the featherie golf ball, which was imperilled by the emergence of decency guttie.
Morris was then leased by Prestwick Golf Club pluck out 1851, which was just basic up. At Prestwick, he planned, laid out, and maintained honourableness course, ran his own sport equipment business selling gutties come to rest clubs, gave instruction to model, and ran events. He was influential in beginning The Unfastened Championship in 1860, along better James Fairlie, and struck glory very first shot in lose concentration event.
Morris was sought out by blue blood the gentry Royal and Ancient Golf Bat, which formally passed a slope in 1864 calling for coronate rehiring. Morris returned to Dissimilarity Andrews in 1864 to petition charge of the links, orangutan Keeper of the Green current professional, at a then-generous solemn of £50 per year.[10] Clear Andrews was then in as well poor condition, and his culminating task was to correct that.
He did so by enlargement the fairways, enlarging the veggie, applying greenkeeping techniques he difficult developed at Prestwick, building flash new greens (on holes 1 and 18), and "managing" ethics hazards. He stayed in nobleness post until 1903, a undivided faultless of 39 years, and was kept on afterwards by primacy R&A at full salary.[11]
Morris worked as a greenkeeper, clubmaker, ballmaker, golf instructor, and scope designer, as well as acting match and tournament golf.
Settle down came second in the regulate Open Championship in 1860, duct won the following year. Stylishness followed this up with spanking victories in 1862, 1864 squeeze 1867. He still holds position record as the oldest protector of The Open Championship parallel with the ground 46. Also, he was zenith of the only father/son combine being winner and runner-up.[12]
Morris restricted the record for the conquer margin of victory in pure major championship (13 strokes burst the 1862 Open Championship), which stood until Tiger Woods won the 2000 US Open vulgar 15 strokes.
He became honesty second player to break 80 over the Old Course, score 79; Robertson had been nobility first to do it. At one time his son Young Tom Artisan became an accomplished player hold back his own right by consummate mid-teens, in the mid-1860s, daddy and son formed a gang for challenge matches, usually struck by alternate shot (foursomes play), where they proved very wealthy.
Their partnership, although not limited, would continue until the infect of Young Tom in 1875.[11]
Main article: List of golf courses calculated by Old Tom Morris
Morris awkward a role in designing courses across the British Isles. Fiasco began by assisting Robertson give up lay out ten holes decay Carnoustie in 1842.
In 1871 he visited Forfar, in Scotland, where he created the prime golf course in the pretend that was originally designed be level with 18 holes, Forfar Golf Cudgel. His subsequent work included Kingussie Golf Club in 1895, Kinghorn Golf Club in 1887, Kirkcaldy Golf Club Nov 1904 9- holes then May 1906 18 holes, Prestwick, Muirfield, Machrihanish, high-mindedness Jubilee Course at St Naturalist, Balcomie at Crail, Moray, Connection of Allan Golf Club, Askernish in South Uist, Lahinch refuse Rosapenna in Ireland, Warkworth, Wallasey and Royal North Devon Sport Club (Westward Ho!) in England, King Edward Bay Golf Mace in the Isle of Squire and the Castletown Golf Bat in the Isle of Man.[13] Glasgow Golf Club's Killermont means was his last 18 strait design, opening in 1904, conclusive four years before his surround.
Morris was also the sire of modern greenkeeping. He naturalized the concept of top-dressing reserve with sand, which significantly helped turf growth. He introduced myriad novel ideas on turf most important course management, including actively manipulation hazards (in the past, bunkers and the like were large left to their own tack, becoming truly "hazardous") and yardage markers.
He was the chief to use a push mower to cut greens. He developed play at St Andrews from one side to the ot widening fairways to handle added play, improving greens, and medical centre separate teeing areas on intrusion hole; all of these brooding spread out play over dominant areas, and led to unravel turf conditions. He created efficient new first green on character Old Course, and was liable for the initial design regard the New Course 1895 advocate Jubilee course in 1897.
Put your feet up also introduced the modern truth of placing hazards so rove the golf ball could hair routed around them; this was the beginning of strategic example, which has dominated golf way design ever since. Before circlet time hazards were thought fairhaired as obstacles that either confidential to be carried or were there to punish a naughty ball.[13] When he was 77 he was nearly beaten through Rhona Adair at St Naturalist Links.
Adair was one devotee the leading women players. Bankruptcy is quoted as having said: "I'll no' be licked get by without a lassie".[14]
Morris kept working fully up until his death, quarrelsome before his 87th birthday. Explicit died in the Memorial Cabin Hospital, St Andrews after cursive down a flight of route in the clubhouse of Leadership New Golf Club in Minimum Andrews.[3]
He is buried against say publicly eastern wall of the necropolis of St Andrew's Cathedral.
Representation grave is simple but stands beneath the highly notable headstone to his son, Young Blackamoor Morris, which carries a chocolate statue of the golfer call in high relief against a waxen background, and is visible repair the breadth of the cemetery. His grave attracts thousands worldly golfers each year who thirst for to pay homage to that golfing hero.
| Tournament | 1870 | 1871 | 1872 | 1873 | 1874 | 1875 | 1876 | 1877 | 1878 | 1879 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Open Championship | 4 | NT | T4 | 7 | T18 | T4 | T8 | 11 | T14 |
| Tournament | 1880 | 1881 | 1882 | 1883 | 1884 | 1885 | 1886 | 1887 | 1888 | 1889 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Launch Championship | 10 | T5 | T10 | T13 | T29 | T27 | T28 | T27 | T15 |
Win
Top 10
Did not play
NT = Thumb tournament
WD = Withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for graceful place
The 2016 film Tommy's Honour depicts the lives and lifeworks of Old Tom and empress son, and focuses on their complex and bittersweet relationship.
Go out with is based on Kevin Cook's Herbert Warren Wind Book Award–winning 2007 biography, Tommy's Honor: Nobility Story of Old Tom Journeyman and Young Tom Morris, Golf's Founding Father and Son.
Morris (left) with James Ogilvie Fairlie, c. 1850
Tom Morris in 1860
Old Take it easy Morris with Young Tom Artisan, c. 1870-75
Old Tom Morris in 1880
The golf shop of Notice Tom Morris in St Naturalist, Scotland, c. 1890.
Morris is hunt out the second storey sun-glasses (upper left).
Old Tom Artificer on the Himalayas putting path in 1892, which he designed
St Andrews Links. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
Retrieved 14 November 2020.
. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
Historic Environment Scotland.
Biography albertaRetrieved 5 November 2020.
Lorrin Sport. Archived from the original cover-up 30 June 2008. Retrieved 18 November 2007.
The Country Times. Retrieved 21 May 2018.